Homes, offices and other buildings have one or more systems of pipes that are configured to channel wastewater from the building to a sewer system or septic tank. In a common configuration, one or more toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and showers may be connected to a main waste line which is connected to a drain line or lateral that is then connected to a septic system or to a public sewer line. The lateral or drain line may have one or more cleanout valves that allow maintenance access to the lateral or drain line.
Unfortunately, the drain line or lateral may become clogged or backed up. For example, in systems where a drain line or lateral (or portions thereof, such as the portions exterior to a foundation of a building) is formed of terracotta or clay pipe, the line is susceptible to cracking, separation, disturbance or blocking due to tree roots, soil shifting or settling, or the like. A drain line or lateral may also become clogged or blocked when certain items (such as tampons) are flushed down a toilet. When a drain line or lateral (or portion thereof) becomes clogged, cracked or otherwise blocked, the sewage or wastewater that should drain out to the septic system or sewer system backs up into the house or building. Often, the clog may cause a backup and then wastewater may overflow into the building from its nearest open low point. Such overflows or backups can be unpleasant, unhealthy and expensive to repair. Further, many sewer system backups are not covered under a typical homeowner's insurance policy, nor are they covered by flood insurance.
It would be desirable to provide an alarm system that alerts or warns a homeowner (or other individual or entity) of the undesirable or unexpected pending presence of fluid in a pipe such as an upper lateral pipe or other outflow pipe. Several potential solutions have been proposed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,950, a sewer blockage alarm is described which utilizes a pressure sensor switch mounted to the inside of a cap for a sewer clean out branch. Unfortunately, the pressure sensor switch may provide inaccurate readings as a result of air or air bubbles collecting in the sewer clean out branch. Further, the '950 patent requires that a pressure bell extend into an interior of a pipe to be monitored which allows debris, sewage or other material collecting at the end of the pressure bell which, unfortunately can cause clogs or blockage.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,907,059 describes a similar alarm that is mounted in a cap of a pipe. The '059 patent requires the use of probes that extend into a pipe. Unfortunately, each of these systems requires that probes or other components extend to an interior of a pipe to be monitored which can lead to clogs or blockage. Further, these devices require the use of a drain clean out cap associated with a trap (e.g., in the '059 patent, an entire trap system is required to be retrofitted with the alarm). Most modern home or office fixtures (such as sinks, showers, toilets) have their own trap associated with it, making it undesirable to utilize drain clean out caps for use in positioning a monitoring device. Further, the inventor of the present invention has determined that placement of an alarm sensor device in a drain or cleaning pipe does not allow a pipe blockage to be detected sufficiently early enough to be corrected—instead, when a blockage is severe enough that wastewater is backing up to the cleaning pipe, a drain or other exit point (such as a toilet or the like), it is commonly too late for proactive maintenance action.
Canadian Patent No. 890926 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,261,940) describes a water backup alarm system which fits within a vertical pipe that leads to a sewer or septic system. The system is constructed of plastic material that fits entirely within a pipe. Unfortunately, installation of the system requires access to the interior of a pipe (such as, for example, through a cap or the like). Unfortunately, the system effectively reduces the interior dimensions of the pipe (which may result in blockage or obstruction of the pipe or a reduction in the capacity of the pipe). Further, the system requires that a user be able to access a section of pipe with a removable cap. Many homes or other buildings do not have drain systems with ready access to a suitable cap or section of pipe with a cap.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a sewer alarm system which does not use a component which extends into the interior of a pipe being monitored. Further, it would be desirable to provide a sewer alarm system that is easily mounted or fitted on an existing drain line or lateral. Further still, it would be desirable to provide a sewer alarm system which does not substantially block or impair the flow of wastewater through the drain line or lateral.